Foster doesn't practice, likely a 'game-time decision'

The Houston Texans' Arian Foster (23) looks to get by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis (52) during the first quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California, Saturday, August 27, 2011. The Texans defeated the Niners, 30-7. (Anda Chu/Oakland Tribune/MCT)

For the second day in a row, the Texans running back didn't practice at Methodist Training Center, only running on a side field as he continues to rehabilitate a left hamstring injured in an Aug. 27 exhibition at San Francisco.

He still doesn't know when it will better.

"It's still a day-to-day process," Foster said. "I'm going to go tomorrow, see how it feels and just keep working."

And just like Wednesday, coach Gary Kubiak reiterated Thursday that while Foster is progressing, he couldn't say for certain if the NFL's reigning rushing champion would be available for Sunday's season opener against Indianapolis.

"Everything we're doing or have been doing has been working towards Sunday and it's Thursday," he said. "You keep your options open but obviously he wasn't able to practice today."

Kubiak said there was a chance Foster might be a game-time decision.

"I think it could if he shows where he's at (Friday) and we feel very good about that and end up working him pretty hard Saturday morning and making sure he took another step forward," Kubiak said. "That's something that can always take place in that last 48 hours, but we'll see where he's at (Friday)."

Foster said Wednesday his hamstring felt good, but he was concerned about rushing back into action too soon. It was a similar story Thursday.

"With hamstrings, it's not something you can push through," he said. "When you try to push through, it's just going to re-occur. It's not like a knee. Like with my knee, I could just push through it because you're not going to mess it up too much more. With a shoulder, you can just push through it. You can't just push through it.

"It's something that has to heal completely before you can come back completely."